Hundred-year-old Peanut Butter Straws Recipe

Peanut butter is one of my favorite snack foods, so I was thrilled to find a hundred-year-old recipe for Peanut Butter Straws.

This irresistible snack contains peanut butter sandwiched between pieces of flaky pastry. The Peanut Butter Straws have the essence of peanut butter sandwich crackers – though the shape is different, and they are less crispy.

Here’s the original recipe:

Source: Good Housekeeping (July, 1917)

When I updated the recipe for modern cooks, I changed the recipe name from Peanut Straws to Peanut Butter Straws because it more precisely describes this snack. Here’s the updated recipe:

Peanut Butter Straws

Preheat oven to 425° F. Put flour into bowl. Cut in shortening using two knives or a pastry blender. Add water and mix using a fork until dough starts to cling together. If needed, add additional water. (Or make pastry dough using a food processor). Roll into a 1/8-thick rectangle on lightly floured surface.

Spread peanut butter on one-half the rolled dough. Just “slap” the peanut butter on the dough. Do not worry if there are places here and there that have no peanut butter. The layers of the straws stick together better if there are places with no peanut butter.

Moisten the edges of the dough with water, then fold the other half of the pastry dough over on top of the dough that had been spread with the peanut butter. Roll lightly, and then prick here and there with a fork to prevent puffing up.

Cut into strips 1/2 inch wide by 4 inches long. Place on a greased cookie sheet, then brush with milk. Put into oven and bake until straws are light brown (about 10 minutes). Remove from oven and sprinkle with paprika.

The Peanut Butter Straws are not particularly sweet. There is no added sugar. (The only sugar in this recipe would be whatever sugar was in the peanut butter) That said, I think the straws would be delicious with coffee.

These would be great to have on the counter for when hungry boys come to see me! I think I’ll try rice flour with this recipe as one of the grandson’s are gluten intolerant. It is nice when he can eat what everyone is eating.